REAL PEOPLE, REAL ISSUES

3 posts categorized "OUT ON DVD"

April 28, 2008

Who knew that getting accolades for a great performance would lead to less recognition on the big screen? Just ask Cuba Gooding Jr..Since he won the Best Supporting Oscar for his role as Rod Tidwell
in 'Jerry Maguire' back in 1996, he's never received the same critical
status.The Bronx native had momentous work afterwards with roles in 'As Good As It Get' with Jack Nicholson, 'Men of Honor' with Robert De Niro, and 'Pearl Harbor' with Ben Affleck; and even had a box office hit with 'Snow Dogs', but that was a Walt Disney film.Then came the flops with 'Radio', 'Boat Trip', 'Shadowboxer, and
last year, he was nominated for several Razzies for his role in 'Daddy
Day Camp'.Lately, Gooding has been making the rounds on the DVD circuit in roles that you haven't seen him in before. Most recently, he just starred in the straight-to-DVD film 'What Is Love', and next up is another DVD film called 'Hero Wanted', an action-filled crime thriller about a heist gone horribly wrong. SOURCE:BLACK VOICES

February 12, 2008

George Jackson (1941-1971) made a surprising rise to celebrated
black radical status, given his decidedly unenlightened start as a
street thug marked by run-ins with the law which led to his being
sentenced at 18 to a year to life for armed robbery.
But, while at San Quentin, he came of age politically, abandoning petty larceny for the philosophies of Marx and Mao.He later joined the Black Panther Party and was transferred to
Soledad Prison which is where he penned his best seller Soledad Brother.
His legal troubles were compounded in January of 1970 when he was charged with the murder of a prison guard,
While behind bars, he also became soulmates with Angela Davis,
though that relationship never had a chance to blossom fully, since he
would spent his last eleven years incarcerated. His younger brother,
Jonathan, want to help, ended up only finding his own 15 minutes of
fame. He staged an ill-fated kidnapping of a judge at the Marin County
Courthouse in order to spring George from jail. But the judge, Jonathan
and several inmates perished when the cops opened fire during their
escape.
About 12 months later, George himself died under mysterious circumstances. The
official report was that he had smuggled a 9mm handgun given to him by
a visitor in his afro, and that he was shot dead on the prison yard
when he pulled it on a correctional officer. At the time, this story
certainly sounded phony to African-Americans who knew full well there
was no way he could have hidden a pistol in his hair.Very Good (3 stars)Unrated Running time: 100 minutes Studio: Warner Home Video DVD Extras: Deleted scenes. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

February 06, 2008

With as many films to his credit including hits such as 'Syriana',
Casino Royale', 'Lackawanna Blues' and 'Shaft', it's really been a long
time since Jeffrey Wright did a an independent film
like 'Basquiat'. Not that some of his smaller films like 'Broken
Flowers' weren't independent, but the budget had to bigger than his
latest film, 'Blackout', which first premiered on BET and is now available out on DVD since Feb.5th. To do a small film like this takes commitment and passion and that's
exactly what motivated Wright to be a part of the project. In
'Blackout', directed by Jerry Lamothe, the film
tracks the chain of events that unfolds in a forgotten Brooklyn
neighborhood during the 2003 blackout. Also featured in the film are Zoe
Saldana, Melvin Van Peebles, Latanya Richardson, Anthony Chisholm, Saul
Rubinek, Jamie Hector, Michael B. Jordan, Prodigy and Sean Blakemore. Jeffrey plays "Nelson" the owner and pillar of the local barbershop.In speaking with him recently, Wright goes over his attraction to the film, and shooting in Brooklyn, NY. What attracted you to the film? Jeffrey Wright: It was a story about my community.
It was an opportunity to tell a story about a familiar place. I was out
of the country when the blackout occurred so I was unaware until I
heard about it. Then I heard different stories from the folks I know in
New York and I wanted to be a part of this film to tell their story in
a way. In the film, you play Nelson" the owner and pillar of the
local barbershop. Barbers are in some ways the Switzerland of the
community. It's where folks come in and tell all sorts of stories, and
they act impartial to what they hear. Did you see it like that with
your character? SOURCE OF THIS STORY

September 2012

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